The devices described below provide for improved heat transfer and sealing performance for our Starion® line of thermal cautery forceps and thermal ligating shears, and in instruments such as those disclosed in Treat, et al., Electrothermal Instrument For Sealing And Joining Or Cutting Tissue, U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,901 (Sep. 30, 2003) (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety).